Reunify

Reunify

Intro:

2 souls lost, but find their way back to each other in a very strange

way. “Another interesting day at school again. Little Teresa still has trouble with the fours in her multiplication tables, but she’s getting there. And Kevyn and Russell still believe themselves to be characters in Star Wars and won’t let anyone into their guild!” Melody laughed. “What imaginations eight and nine year olds have. I think Susie and Donnie have a little thing for each other, but they’ll swear on all that they own that both of them creep each other out. I see differently of course.” She shifted her position and sat Indian style and continued on. “Everyone’s really excited about the Thanksgiving party the whole school has coming up in a couple of weeks. Each grade is responsible for a certain item. And then of course each classroom within that grade has to get together to decide how much of that item to bring. Third grade gets stuffing and my class has already decided they want my version of cranberry stuffing along with Mrs. Williamson’s cornbread stuffing” Melody laughed. “Should be lots of fun.” She sighed a bit now as she ran her fingers around the lettering on the gravestone. “I miss you so much Brandon. I know you’ve been gone nearly a half-year now but it seems like only yesterday. We’d only been married for 2 years and then you were taken from me doing what you loved to do…serving your country. When that knock came on our door, I knew, I knew before I ever opened it who it was. I’d been watching the news and in my gut something told me your squadron was a part of that explosion before the information was ever released.” A few tears began to fall from her eyes. “I teach, I compose, I write my short stories, spend time with my family all so I can keep my mind off of you, but I can’t Brandon, I can’t.” The tears flowed more now. “Carrie tried to set me up with her boyfriend’s brother a few months ago and I just couldn’t do it. I look at other men and I only see and compare them to you. I’ve been with no one since you’ve died Brandon and with the way I’m feeling, it’ll probably be that way for a very long time.” Melody looked at her watch then sniffed and wiped her tears. “Well, I’ve bored you long enough as usual. I’ve got to meet mom and Carrie for dinner. We’re having a girl’s night and dad and Ross are thrilled to have the house to themselves for a couple of hours.” She giggled and rose to her knees. “I love you baby and I will till the day I die.” She ran her fingers along the gravestone. “I’ll see you more than likely tomorrow.” She kissed her hand and laid it on the grave. “I love you Brandon.” She stood to walk away. Melody put her hands in her jacket pocket to walk away. As she walked from her husband’s grave, someone else was walking to another. As they passed one other, the other party felt energy from Melody. He turned to look at her but only caught her back as she was past him almost to her car. He shook it off and continued to the grave of his wife. “And he threw her over his shoulder and proceeded to have his way with her behind closed doors!” Carrie threw back her head and laughed and took a sip of her wine. “Oh I can remember when your father did that to me when we first met.” Their mother said gleefully. “Mama!” Melody couldn’t believe what she was hearing. “Daddy did not give you the caveman treatment!” “He most certainly did. And as a matter of fact, it was just a few weeks ago we relived that very moment.” She smiled wickedly and picked up a fried mushroom to munch on. “Mother!” Carrie popped her arm. “I want details.” She leaned in to her mom for the juicy details.

“Carrie Marie Thomas.” Her sister pinched her arm. “Melody Maxine McKinley.” She repeated in the same manner and then giggled. Melody smiled and took another sip of her wine. “Thanks for this you guys, I really needed it. I needed something else.” Her sister knew exactly what she was talking about. “Don’t worry Mel, the hurt will lessen over time. I won’t say it will go away, but hopefully it’ll get easier. He was the love of your life and your first love. I saw what that did and is still doing to you when you lost him. Just hang tough big sister, time will heal the wounds.” Carrie leaned over to kiss her. “When did you get to be so grown up?” Melody asked rather impressed. Her little sister was only 22 years old and had truly grown up too fast. “The first time Kyle swung me over his shoulder.” She raised her eyebrows and reached for a fried cheese stick. Her mother and sister laughed appreciatively. They enjoyed dinner and drinks over the next hour and decided to share a dessert. After fighting with her sister over the last bite, Melody excused herself to go to the restroom. She checked her make-up in the mirror and freshened up a bit. She then ran her fingers through her hair and decided it was more than time for a haircut. She washed her hands and left the restroom. As she was exiting the ladies’ room a gentleman was entering the men’s room. As he entered Melody felt something stir inside of her. She couldn’t put her finger on it and didn’t understand what it was, but the aura he left behind was amazing. “Wow,” she shook her head. “That’s really weird.” She looked to the men’s room door and then walked back to her table. Carrie could read her sister like a book. “What’s up?” “What do you mean?” She placed her purse back under the table. “Don’t play stupid with me. I’ve been able to read you like a book since you were sixteen and I was twelve. What’s up?” Carrie spaced out the last two words carefully. “Can’t lie to mama either baby. So talk.” Her mother pushed aside her coffee. “It’s probably nothing really, but when I was leaving the restroom to come back to the table a man was walking in to the men’s room.” “Did he hit on you?” “Carrie.” Her mother said softly. “Okay, sorry.” She rolled her eyes and continued to listen. “As he walked by me I felt this ‘presence’. This aura, energy. It was weird.” Melody shook her head. “When I was leaving Brandon’s gravesite today, I could have sworn I felt the same thing, but I just thought I might have been a little chilly as I sat out there longer than usual today as it is the middle of November.”

“That is weird. And I’ve got no explanation for that one.” Carrie sat back and stretched. “So, what do we do now? Think dad and Ross are ready to give up the house yet.” Mrs. Thomas looked at her watch. “Probably not. It’s only 8:00, wanna catch a late movie?” “I thought you’d never ask!” Carrie hurried up quickly. Mrs. Thomas reached in to her purse for her wallet. “I’ve got the tip mom, you paid for dinner.” Melody took out her wallet. “Okay sweetie, thank you. Meet you outside.” Melody reached in to her wallet to take out the money to leave for a tip. She laid it on the table under the saltshaker. When she stood to gather her things it happened once again. She looked up quickly and looked around to see if the same man was anywhere around. He was behind her at the bar and the instant she turned to see him he turned his head and spotted her. “Damn.” She started quietly. “How weird is this? Who are you and why do you cause everything inside of me to go on alert every time you’re around?” Melody started to walk toward him but thought better of it. It was fairly dark at the bar and she could only make him out vaguely. He was about six four and had dark curly hair that just barely reached his collar and had an athletic build. A baseball player’s build in her opinion. Brandon used to play so she knew pretty much want that consisted of. He was still staring at her and when he started to move off the stool from which he was sitting, Melody knew that was time to exit. She hurried outside and in to the car. Her mother was driving and Carrie was buckled in to the back seat. “What took you so long?” Carrie asked. “It happened again. He’s at the bar.” Melody looked back to the restaurant. “Let’s go check him out!” Carrie started to undo her seatbelt. “Carrie Marie.” Her mother said looking in to the rearview mirror. She then looked to Melody. “Are you okay sweetie?” She laid her hand on her arm. “I’m fine mama. It’s just weird that’s all. I don’t even know this guy, but that’s twice now that I’ve become aware of it that when he’s around I know he’s there.” “I say we go check him out and find out why.” Carrie leaned up on the seat. Melody tweaked at her nose and swatted at her playfully. “And I say we get to our movie instead. Come on mama, crank up this baby and let’s finish off our girls’ night.” Her mother grinned and did just that. Over the next couple of weeks the feeling continued and would often happen at the strangest times. She spotted him at the gym she was a member of, at the hotel Carrie worked at, and one time at her father’s lab. If she didn’t know any better she would have sworn she was being stalked. But she knew better than that because she didn’t feel

threatened at all. She actually felt at peace and rather ‘centered’ when he was around. They had only made eye contact during one of those encounters but never approached each other. Something had both of them holding back and for now Melody was just fine with that. It was the weekend after Thanksgiving and Melody decided to go visit Brandon’s grave on Sunday afternoon. “Happy belated Thanksgiving baby.” She leaned over and gently kissed the gravestone. She then sat Indian style once again to talk to him. “You know baby, I’ve been having the strangest encounters over the last couple of weeks. There’s this guy, and every time he’s anywhere near me, something inside of me shoots off. It’s not like the feelings I had for you, but it’s something and it’s driving me crazy because I can’t put my finger on it.” “Do I need to rough him up for you baby doll?” Melody turned and gasped. She placed her hand to her lips and stood up quickly. “Brandon?” He smiled at her. He was standing there in front of her in the last thing she saw him wearing. His dress uniform and he was just as handsome as ever. “I—I don’t understand.” She shook her head. “Nothing to understand baby doll. I’m here to make things easier for you.” He moved towards her. She stepped back. “What do you mean?” “It seems to me you’re having a hard time letting go.” He reached for her hand. She just looked at it and shook her head. “Take it. For this one moment, you can.” He smiled at her sweetly. She reached for his hand and he linked his fingers with hers. “Oh Brandon.” She fell into his arms. For the next few minutes they held each other in silence. “I don’t have much time so I suppose I better say what needs to be said.” Brandon pulled slowly away from her. Melody looked in to his eyes and the tears just streamed from hers. “Now don’t do that baby doll, this is hard enough for me as it is.” He wiped her tears and leaned down to kiss her gently. Melody grabbed his wrists as he framed her face with his hands and held on to them as though her life depended on it. “I know that I’ve only been gone for six months and we only had a short 2 ½ years together, but I need you to move on my baby and be happy.” Melody shook her head. “Let me finish.” He kissed her again gently. “I’m not telling you to forget me as I know you could never do that!” He chuckled lightly. “I’m telling you that you don’t have to come here and visit me as much as you do or miss me as much as you do. We’ll have our time again together, don’t you worry about that.” He smiled at her. “I can’t move on until I know that the woman I’ll love for eternity is at peace and is happy.” “Oh Brandon.” She said quietly and laid her head on his shoulder. He wrapped his arms around her and continued. “I want you to move on baby doll and be happy. Start living your life again and have fun like you’re always telling your third graders.” He stroked her hair. “My heart and soul is always yours, but I want you to be able to give you heart and soul to another if he’s worthy of you.

Open your heart baby doll and open your eyes, someone may be closer than you think.” He pulled her away from him gently and gestured over her shoulder. And there he was, at a grave and he seemed to be having a conversation himself with someone who wasn’t there. “Oh-my-god.” Melody lost her breath. At that moment, he turned and spotted Melody and when their eyes met this time, it was something totally different. “Go on sweetness.” Brandon nudged her away gently. “Be happy.” She turned to look at him. “Brandon.” She shook her head. “Trust me. I trust you. Go.” He winked at her and gestured with his head. Melody looked to the stranger again and he to her and then slowly they walked to one another. Melody turned to look at Brandon. He just gestured and waited patiently. “Hello.” He said nervously. “Hello.” Melody returned in the same manner. He turned to look at someone Melody couldn’t see. “Umm, my name is Brandon.” She gasped and her heart skipped several beats. She turned to look at her Brandon and he just winked and smiled at her. “I’m—I’m Melody.” He then turned and the person he was looking at blew him a kiss and smiled. “Your name is Melody?” “Yes.” “My wife who died last year in a car accident, her name was Melody.” “Really?” Melody just looked over to the gravestone. She could barely see the name, but it was there. “My husband’s name was Brandon.” She pointed to his grave. “Oh my.” He took a deep breath. “One of the last times we were here together, I got this ‘feeling’ from you.” “I felt it too, but I thought I was just chilly since I was out here so long.” Melody giggled nervously. “Me too.” Brandon agreed and then ran his fingers through his hair. “I had just come from a walk before I came here to visit Melody.”

They just smiled at each other. “Would like to go out to dinner with me?” Brandon asked a little more at ease now. “I would love to.” Melody said feeling the same way. They both looked back to their spouses’ graves and turned to face each other smiling. Brandon looked to his watch. “It’s early, only 5 o’clock, but we can have an early dinner and then maybe go to a movie if you feel comfortable.” “Sure.” Melody smiled. “Okay.” Brandon extended his hand. “Shall we go?” Melody looked to his hand and then to her Brandon one final time. He nodded his head and smiled at her. Brandon looked to his Melody and she just smiled at him. As Melody took his hand her spouse disappeared, as did Brandon’s. “So any particular place you want to go?” Brandon asked as they walked away. “Chinese, I haven’t had that in awhile.” Brandon just laughed softly. “What?” Melody asked curiously. “Melody hated Chinese. I couldn’t get her to try it no matter what I did! It killed me to always have to eat it with the fellas, but I got over it.” “Brandon hated Mexican, so I was stuck eating it with my brother or sister or some of the teachers I teach with.” “That’s one of my specialties.””What do you mean?” “I’m a chef and I’m famous for my enchiladas and guacamole, along with several other dishes too. Nations Galore, that’s my restaurant.” Melody stopped in her tracks. “Are you kidding?” “Dead serious.” He said proud of her reaction. “My sister and I eat there a few times every month.” She shook her head. “This is truly amazing. Us coming together like this.” “It is. I haven’t dated since Melody been gone and that’s been a year just next month.” “It’s been a half year for me.” They walked and arrived at their cars.

“Whose car do we take?” Melody asked. “How about mine and I’ll drop you back here after our movie and follow you home to make sure you arrive okay.” “That’ll be fine thank you.” Brandon opened the door for her. One final time they both looked back to their spouses’ graves. This time they were both able to see each other’s spouse. The ghosts looked to each other and then to their spouses and waved at them. Brandon and Melody waved back as their spouses blew them both kisses, smiled, and disappeared. Brandon walked to the driver’s side of his car and got in. He started it up and then reached for Melody’s hand. “I feel as though we’ve been reunited, even though we don’t know each other.” “I feel that way too Brandon.” She sighed. “Wow, I never though I’d get to say that name again and feel the way I feel.” “How do you feel Melody?” The feeling was his too. He kissed her hand gently. “Happy. Very happy.” “Me too.” He smiled at her, put her hand in her lap and drove off. A reunion of two souls meant for each other. Brandon and Melody together once again as it was destined to be.